A group of smash-and-grab robbers broke through the windows of a Rolex store on Chicago’s Magnificent Mile on Friday afternoon, snatching watches on display before leading police on a chase to the South Side.
Chicago police were notified about a group of men in ski masks that had just broken into the Rolex store in the 700 block of North Michigan Avenue around 2:40 p.m., according to police scanner audio.
The robbers used axes to break the side windows of the store on Huron, snatched the watches on display out of the window, accordnging to scanner audio. Rolex does not have watches on display inside their store. Viewings are by appointment only.
Chicago police said four men were involved in the smash-and-grab at the store. Watches could be seen dangling from the broken glass in the aftermath of the robbery.
Shots were fired outside the store during the robbery, according to the police scanner, but there was some confusion about whether they were fired by the robbers or security officers at the store. No one appeared to have been hit by gunfire.
The robbers then fled the scene in a car. Police were able to catch up with them at the Dan Ryan Expressway, according to the police scanner, thanks to a CPD helicopter that was flying. The robbers then led Chicago police on an 11-minute chase to 69th and Peoria in the city’s Englewood neighborhood.
CBS SkyWatch was over the scene where the chase ended, where we could see the red Nissan Murano that was used in the getaway. Scanner communication also said that as the suspects in the Nissan were chased, they were throwing items, presumably watches, out of the window.
Ald. Brian Hopkins (2nd) said he does not recall and smash-and-grab robbery like this in the middle of the afternoon when the Magnificent Mile is filled with tourists and shoppers.
“I don’t think Rolex thought [its windows] could be broken. They found out the hard way, if you’ve got enough leverage on a hatchet, you could break through,” he said.
Lamont Evans is a supervisor with The Restorative Project, a group that responds to violence in the community. CBS News Chicago talked to him about how the break-in happened as President Trump is threatening to bring the National Guard to Chicago to crack down on crime.
“If we bring more resources to the community, more jobs, more federal funding, then maybe we wouldn’t have to deal with the backlash of things like this,” Evans said.
Hopkins has also spoken out against bringing the National Guard to Chicago.
“We were able to arrest these six offenders. I’m not sure what the National Guard could have done,” he said.
Six people were taken into custody in Englewood, Chicago police said, and the stolen watches were recovered. No injuries were reported.
An investigation by Area Three Detectives is ongoing.
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